It's not over until...
Awards ceremony at the National Opera contains some surprises
Emma Baker 10:57am GMT 22nd October 2010
It’s hard not to feel a sense of anticlimax following three weeks of intense Competition activity, but it's not over yet. Last night, Warsaw's National Opera was host to the awards ceremony and prize-winners' concert, in the presence of the Polish president. It was, literally, that old cliché, a “glittering ceremony” – crystal ropes suspended from the flys, dazzlingly lit, the great and the good on show in their evening best.
The five laureates who performed were all understandably tired after the mental and physical demands of the past weeks and some cracks were showing. No matter, they will give many better recitals in the future. Interestingly, Evgeni Bozhanov was not present – either to collect his fourth prize or to perform in the concert; the rules, however, state that this is a duty the a prize-winner must fulfil, or they forfeit their prize. The official reason for Bozhanov’s no-show was “reasons outside the Competition”; but why would he knowingly give up his award?
Winner Yulianna Avdeeva, whose prize includes two dates with the New York Philharmonic and 30,000 euros, will now play the E minor Concerto twice more on consecutive nights at further prize-winners' events. Once this is all over, she will be exposed to the intense critical attention that always follows such a prestigious award. She is the first woman to win the Chopin Competition in 45 years, since Martha Argerich in 1965, and the media will certainly start making comparisons. Will she have the career that’s implied by winning such a huge prize? Will she be signed by a major record label?
What will happen to the other laureates? Where will these pianists be in two, three, or five years? Some will be doing very well indeed, perhaps even better than the winner. There is no shame in coming second or third; Ashkenazy, Uchida, Fliter and Montero all did, after all.
And what of those who didn’t win, who didn’t make it to the final, not even the second or third stage, for various reasons? There are a some promising names we will wonder about: Anke Pan, Fei-Fei Dong, Leonora Armellini, for example. I’m sure we’ll be hearing more of them one day, in another context.
Comments
If Evgeni Bozhanov had won, he would have been there. If it's a snub to the competition and, really, all of Poland, then a day will come when he will be sorry indeed. His 4th place was correct for his showing at the competition. I agree we will wonder (not Wunder) about Anke Pan, Fei-Fei Dong, and Anna Fedorova and some other major talents that won nothing but our appreciation. Thanks for your great blog, Emma.
Thie result of this edition is a shame. There were at least 4 pianists well above the "poor" Avdeeva and the winner for me is Wunder. I just wonder how a great and well respected pianist, Marta Argerich, (and Freyre too) who walked away when Pogorelich was excluded from the final, could bear this result. And the use of different pianos is wrong since does not offer the same opportunity to all participants and is therefore suspicious. Chopin competition has been so far the most respected piano competition and the 2010 edition is a big blow to his seriousness. We must hope that this is just an unfortunate edition and not an unacceptable trend
The rules state that 'Unjustified absence from the gala concert and its repeats will result in the forfeiting of prize money', not the forfeiting of the prize. Even Sultanov is still listed as a prizewinner in 1995. (And no one knows that Bozhanov's absence was unjustified either.)
What I wonder about is why the jury suddenly changed its rules in the Final round. Bozhanov was very solidly in second place at that time, and I do not see anything clearly in the Rules that say they can do that.
So, I say if the jury can take such liberties, I don't see why Bozhanov should be blamed if he chose to leave, though what a pity to lose so much money, if that's what happened. Plus many commentators treated particularly him, and many others, with a great deal of disrespect. Luckily the jury was much fairer.